This invention relates in general to materials handling and, more particularly, to a warehousing system for rapid merchandise storage and retrieval.
In recent years with the ever increasing trade volumes, there has been the constant problem of developing economic and facile means for handling of inbound merchandise at distribution centers and the equally economic and facile delivery of outbound items therefrom to retail outlets pursuant to specific orders. Such centers entail large storage facilities whereby the influx of articles to be stored must be handled in a way to avoid or minimize interference with the concurrent efficient handling of outbound merchandise. There is the admitted necessity of accomplishing retrieval of ordered items at minimum expense, but with a maximum degree of accuracy in order completion. Numerous attempts have been made to develop procedures, systems, techniques, and the like to obtain the aforesaid goals. But to the present time one providing the requisite efficacy has not been known.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a warehousing system adapted for the concurrent reception of inbound merchandise from a plurality of delivery mediums and transmitting same to a centralized storage zone in a rapid manner whereby continuous high volume flow of such merchandise may be expeditiously accommodated.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a warehousing system of the character stated wherein selected withdrawal of merchandise items from storage is achieved in a manner which eliminates obstruction or interference by the simultaneous stocking or replenishment of such withdrawn merchandise, thereby conducing to obviation of error in such retrieval.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a system of the character stated incorporated inbound storage and outbound loading sequences which are accomplished in mutually independent fashions so that the traffic jamming, confusion, and attendant costly delays and errors heretofore accepted as hazards and risks inherent within existing warehousing plans are avoided.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system which is amenable to computer programming thereby enhancing the operating efficiency of the system as well as to reduce the even limited margin for human error.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a warehousing system which may be established within existing warehousing facilities, thus not requiring new constructions; which is markedly efficient in usage so as to bring about substantial economies in time and labor; and which system is extremely versatile, being useful with myriad types of merchandise.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a warehouse arrangement comprising the unique, relative disposition of merchandise handling conveyors and storage rack structures, all of which may be of existing construction so as to maximize the utilization of available storage area with the storage and retrieval of merchandise being rendered feasible in a manner productive of speedy charging of inbound merchandise to storage racks and the correspondingly rapid dispatch of outbound merchandise therefrom.